
Qass Vi.'iZ 



REPORT OF A VISIT TO-THE LURAY CAVERN, IN PAGE COUNTY, 
' VIRGINIA, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE SMITHSONIAN IN- 
STITUTION, JULY 13 AND U, 1880. 



Diiriug the suuimei' of 1880 a party was sent out by the Sinithsoniau 
Institution to investigate the famous Luray Cavern in Page County, 
Virginia. An invitation liad been extended by Messrs. Campbell and 
Stebbins, tbe proprietors of tlie cave, and Mr. Eobert Garrett, vice- 
president of the Baltimore and Ohio Kailroad, courteously granted passes 
over his road. 

The party consisted of Wm. J. Rhees, chief clerk, Daniel Leech, cor- 
responding clerk, Dr. Charles A. White, geologist. Prof. Charles Eau, 
archaeologist. Prof. Otis T. Mason, ethnologist. Prof. Fred. W. Taylor, 
chemist. Dr. Elmer R. Reynolds, ethnologist, T. W. Smillie, photog- 
rapher, and Prof. J. H. Gore, civil engineer. 

Leaving Washington at 8.35 on the morning of July 12, the tourists, 
after passing Point of Pocks, Harper's Ferry, Charlestown, Winchester, 
Strasburg, and A\"oodstock, all made memorable in the late civil war, 
arrived at New Market at 2.44 p. m. Having selected quarters for the 
night, they made an excursion to the "Endless Caverns," about four 
miles south of the town. These caverns constitute, together, a series 
of very pretty grottoes, but no examination of them was allowed by the 
proprietors. Mr. Smillie, however, secured some very fine negatives of 
vallej* scenery. 

After a night of refreshing sleep, the explorers were ready to mount 
Burke's tally-ho early the next morning for a most romantic ride ovel- 
the Massanutton Mountain to Luray. ^Nothing could exceec\ for variety 
of (piiet rural beauty the ever changing landscape revealed in the great 
Shenandoah Valley at each turn of the winding ascent. There was 
plenty of time, as the stage lumbered along, to alight and walk leisurely 
behind in order to look back over the magniticent amphitheatre. Ar- 
rived at the crest, all were ordered to mount to their seats in order to 
"make time" down the tortuous eastern slope to the place of destination. 
A very picturesque ford of the east fork of the Shenandoah forms the 
gateway to the lovely Page Valley, having the Blue Eidge in the back- 
ground. 

Four miles of rolling limestone road brought the travelers to the 
quaint old town of Luray, straggling along the turnpilce, and contain- 



2 LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. , P^L M 3§^ 

iug about 600 iuliabitants. Tliose seeking a sliorter route to the caverns 
may now go by rail tlirectly to the spot over the recently-completed 
Shenandoah Valley Railroad. To select quarters for the night, to eat a 
sumptuous dinner, and to don their old clothes, occupied the party but 
a short time, and then all were ready to mount the tally ho for the 
cave, which is situated on the north side of the turnpike about a mile 
west of the town. The entrance is near the summit of a rolling hill. 

Before enterhig, the party listened to an interesting account of the 
search for the cavern by Mr. Stebbins, and, under the instruction of 
Professor White, observed carefully its topographical and geological 
environment. 




The Blue Ridge and Town of Lnray from Cave Hill. 

For many years a small cave has been known in one of the hills near 
Luray, but it was not until August, 1878, that this wonderful freak of 
nature was discovered. This was due to the curiosity of Mr. B. P. Steb- 
bins, a traveling photographer, who was convinced that the old cave was 
only a part of other similar formations. After diligent search, numerous 
diggings, and considerable expenditure of time and money, with no little 
ridicule from the villagers, he was rewarded by the brilliant discovery. 
AndrcAv J. Campbell, of Luray, was the first to enter the cave. 

At this point Page Valley is several miles wide, and is bordered 
upon the east by the Blue Ptidge, and upon the west by the Massanutton 
Mountain, The general surfoce is considerably diversified, and the 



LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 3 

rock stratum out of which the cavity has been excavated appears fre- 
quently on the surface throughout the neighborhood. The cave, there- 
fore, is not in the side of a mountain, as most of the party had supposed, 
but at least four or live miles from the mountain ranges on either side. 
It has no obvious relation with them, except that its origin was partly 
coincident with their origin, and with the excavation of the valley by 
erosion. Indeed, it must be remembered that this gnawing away of ma- 
terial has produced not only the valleys, but the mountains themselves 
as they now exist, although they have such a considerable elevation 
aboA'e the lowlands. 

The rocks throughout the whole of this region have been much dis- 
placed, having been flexed into great folds, the direction of which coin- 
cides with that of the Appalachian mountain range. In fact, these 
folds are a remnant of the results of that series of movements in which 
the whole system primarily originated. 

The rock out of which Luray Cavern has been excavated is a compact, 
bluish liuiestone, not very evenly bedded, and weathering ruggedly on 
account of its heterogeneous texture. The few fossils discovered indi- 
cate that this limestone stratum is of Lower Silurian, probably belong- 
ing to the Trenton i)eriod. 

The position of the cave in the middle of an open valley, distant from 
the mouutains, and so much below their crests, shows that it was hollowed 
out toward the close of the epoch within which the formation of the valley 
took place. The character of the erosion leads to the conviction that 
the excavation was effected subsequently to the formation of the great 
folds referred to abo\'e. It is also plain that the foldings took i)lace 
after the close of the Carboniferous period, because the strata of that 
period and those of later date are known to have been involved. 

It is thus evident that the geological date of the origination of Luray 
Cave, although it is carved out of Silurian limestone, is considerably 
later than the close of the Carboniferous period. None of the facts yet 
ascertained warrant a more detinite conclusion concerniug the limits of 
the antiquity of the souterrain, and the most recent epoch at which it 
might have been formed is the Tertiary. It is highly probable that the 
date of its origination is not more ancient than that of the Mammoth 
Cave or the Wyandotte. 

The history of its production is, of course, divided into two i)eriods, 
namely, its excavation an<l ornamentation. The latter was Avholly pro- 
duced after, and perhaps long after, the chasm was finished. The 
cavity was wrought by the same agencies that i)roduce all such effects 
iu limestone formations, namely, by the erosion and by the dissolving 
action of water holding carbonic acid in solution, and coursing through 
i)reviously formed fissures in the rocks. These cavities gradually be- 
come euhirged into chambers by the falling and removal of loose mate- 
rial to lower levels, and even through open outlets to the general drain- 
age ot the country. 



4 LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 

The ornamentatiou of the cave, composed of lime carbonate, in the 
form of stalactite, stalagmite, calcareous tufa, travertine, cave pearls, 
calcite cr^^stals, &c., has been produced by the precipitation of that 
mineral from solution in water, formerly percolating freely through the 
crevices of the rock which formed the ceiling, after the process of hol- 
lowing out was completed. 

With these preliminary observations the party equipped themselves 
for their subterraneous journey each with a tin frame holding three 
lighted caudles. The cold current of air around the mouth of the 
abyss warned them that their comfort would be enhanced by a 
heavy coat to enable them to sustain the shock of a sudden change 
in temperature from 96° to 56° Fahrenheit. The tirst descent is 
down a broad flight of square stone steps to a landing 50 feet below 
the surface. A short walk along a narrow passage leads to the vesti- 
bule, or entrance chamber, an irregularly shaped room 35 feet high and 
nearly 200 feet in diameter in the widest portion, the walls descending 
and contracting in an erratic and picturesque manner. As this was 
the first cave experience of most of the party, the unexpected magnitude 
of the chamber, the almost tangible darkness, the great variety of mas- 
sive and curious forms, the ghastly shadows flitting about with their 
feeble candles, filled up the measure of expectancy. Indeed, had there 
beeu no rooms beyond far surpassing this one in every respect, all would 
have been perfectly satisfied. A very remarkable object in this cham- 
ber is Washington's Column, a monster pillar, nearly 25 feet in diameter, 
and very handsomely fluted. 

A long, arched, irregular space beyond the vestibule, studded with 
fungoid and stalactites, has received the name of the Vegetable Garden, 
from the exquisite varieties of the incrustations. The botryoidal stalac- 
tites excited the admiration of the whole party. Wandering through this 
space, the explorers descended a well-built wooden staircase to Muddy 
Lake, passing across which over a wooden bridge, they were shown the 
Bear's Tracks, curious indentations on the tufaceous covering of a ledge, 
very strongly resembling the scratches made by an animal holding on 
by its claws. The next point of interest is the theater — a suggestive 
title from the resemblance to a great audience hall. 

Ascending to the left the party came to the Fish Market. Here, on 
the side of a projecting wall, or series of escarj)ments, depend hundreds 
of sheet-like stalactites, mimicking most wonderfully rows of fish ex- 
posed for sale. Indeed, one has no difliculty about the identification of 
the species of bass, perch, shad, mackerel, &c.; some being gray all over, 
others having black backs and white bellies, and the illusion being per- 
fected by a sufiflcient trickling to give a slimy, fishy appearance to the 
objects. All pronounced this to be the most curious, though not by any 
means the grandest and most impressive, object in the cavern. 

From the Fish Market the path to the right leads to the Elfin Ramble, 
a low, open chamber, from 1 to 10 feet high, GOO feet long, and 300 feet 

\ . 1 / 



LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 



D 



in breadth. Crossing the Ramble by a deep trench cut through the 
travertine tioor and the cave clay, the party stood on the edge of Pluto's 
Chasm, a rift ."300 feet long, 70 feet deep, and 10 to 50 feet across, and 
with lighted candles in front of them sought to penetrate the darkness. 
Fifty candles combine their ineffectual fires to dissipate the gloom, but 
they only serve to indicate the locality of their possessors. Here is the 
a\ve-insi)iring spot in all the cave. There is greater beauty, richer 
variety of form and color in many places, but no view stirs the sense of 
dreadful mystery like that from the balustrade of Pluto's Chasm. Fol- 
lowing the guides down a long, rocky descent, which bears away to the 
right past the edge of the chasm, the party reached the bottom of this dark 
chamber. From this point a fine view is obtained of the Specter, a tall 
snow-white stalagmite, looming up in the darkness in a very ghostly 
manner. This is a cul de sac, and it is necessary to retrace one's steps to 




The Fish Market. 

the Fish Market before making a new departure. Indeed, the astonish- 
ing fact was that the whole cavern occupies such a small area. In ]Mam- 
moth Cave one can walk more than ten continuous miles without doub- 
ling on his tracks. At Luray the chambers branch off in most fantastic 
form about the entrance until one is entirely bewildered. Again, in 
Luray Cave there are no contracted squeezes, no crawling, no break- 
neck climbings, no miry i)ools, but one may get about with almost as 
much ease as in tlie open fields. 



b LUKAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 

On the side of a rocky ledge by the path leading to the Fish Market 
is a miniature lake, in which the formation of calcite crystals is yet 
going on. It is a very beautiful object, the snow-white crystals forming 
a pleasing contrast with the brown color of the surrounding rock. 




The Seutiuel and Spectre. 

The Grotto of Oberon is reached by crossing the Chasm. Here is a 
diminutive fountain surrounded by innumerable stalactites of great 
beauty. Just beyond lies the Bridal Chamber, so called on account of the 
delicately veiled stalactites and stalagmites occurring there. Until one 



LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 7 

has stood before these objects with romantic names, it occurs to him that 
the fancy of the narrator has quite as much to do with the matter as the 
resemblance of the objects. But all such doubt vanishes in the presence 
of creations which call forth spontaneously from all beholders the same ex- 
clamations. It was so in this chamber. The long, white, trailing masses 
of alabaster suggested the same idea to all, and the absolute, starless 
night of shade on every side helped to complete the illusion. Just beyond 
the Bridal Chamber is Giant Hall, where beauty gives place to wonder — 
the loveliness of Grecian finesse to the overpowering sense of Egyptian 
massiveness. Among the objects of special interest at this point are 
Titania's Veil and Diana's Bath, and, just beyond, the Saracen's Tent. 
The last-named object attracted a great deal of attention, and vividly 
recalled the pictures of crusading times, wherein the conical tent with 
its ample folds is decorated with the armorial devices of the occupant 
and surmounted by liis banner. 




The Saracen's Tent. 

The next object of interest is the Cathedral, with its fantastic frescoe 
and stone organ. From the ceiling and walls dei^end thin sheets of 
stalactite of various lengths, which, upon being struck, give forth tones 
of great softness and effect. The imi)ressiou made upon the party 
wandering through these dark abysses, when ]\[r. Campbell, without 
previous warning, played a familiar air, will hardly be forgotten. 

There is nothing more beautiful in the cave than these scarfs, shawus, 



b LUKAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 

lambrequiDs— wliat sbaU we call them— of trauslucentcalcite, some white 
as suow, others impregnated with the impurities of the soil above, falliug 
in graceful folds, fringed with a thousand patterns, and so thin that a caudle 
held behind one of them reveals all the structure within. With much 







The Cathedral (Giaut's Hall). 

regret the visitor sees the curtain fall upon this enchanted spot, but his 
sense of novelty is redoubled as he passes on to the Fallen Column, 
strangely misnamed. Once it hung from the lofty ceiling above, in com- 
pany with many others, a ponderous mass over 50 feet long, at least 14 
feet in its greatest diameter, and weighing about 400 tons. The entire 



LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 9 

collectiou of these immeuse stalactites at this portion of the cavern re- 
sembles a great inverted forest of blasted trunks. The only spot in all 
the abyss where a sense of danger and utter helplessness seizes the ex- 
plorer is when he stands beneath these magnificent stalactites, weighing 
over 500 tons each, held to the roof only by their own cohesion, and capa- 
ble of falling, as evidenced by the prostrate giant before him. This feel- 
ing quickly subsides, however, when, upon closer inspection, he sees the 
fluted sides of the fallen one supporting long rows of secondary stalactites 
which indicate that perhaps centuries have elapsed since the crash of its 
downfall reverberated through these lonely halls. Drooping over the 
column to the right is the Angel's Wing, a formation of alabaster white- 
ness, nearly 10 feet high by 7 wide, and flecked all over with feather-like 
wrinkles. Truly one may be pardoned for giving his fancy loose rein, 
as he here beholds in this wing drooping over a fallen stalactite an em- 
blem of the flight of centuries. 

The Throne Room and the Throne, Chapman's Lake, the Tower of 
Babel, and Katie's Secret pass quickly in review as the path leads on 
to the Giants' Hall, the chef (Voeuvrc of this fairy underworld. On the 
verge of a towering cliff the beholder faces this cham ber of wonders. 
Stretching away to the right is a seemingly interminable row of prodig- 
ious, glittering columns. They rise from out the depths of shade and 
are lost in the overhanging gloom. The magnesium light successfully 
combats these hosts of darkness and drives them into the alcoves and 
recesses above, beneath, and on either side, revealing forms of giant 
dimensions, weird outline, and infinite variety of ornament. Many feet 
below are the Chimes, — long sheeted stalactites, which on being vi- 
brated give forth a deep, tremulous peal of varied tone. 

The Empress Columns, the Sultana, the Double Columns, the Frozen 
Cascade, the Chalcedony Cascade, and the Hanging Kock being passed 
and admired, the scene opens into the Amphitheater, a large high-ceiled 
rotunda which has been tightly floored and fitted up with seats and 
chandeliers for a ball-room. Here on special occasions the citizens of 
Luraj' assemble to " chase the glowing hours with flying feet." Around 
the amphitheater are the Tombs of the Martyrs, Cinderella, and an end- 
less number of robed and spangled heroes and heroines as yet un- 
named. An ascent of two long flights of stairs leads from this rotunda 
to Campbell's Hall, an oblong chamber, about 200 feet in tlie long di- 
ameter and 50 feet high. The chief attraction of this room i.s the rich 
variety of coloring in the stalactites, including red, yellow, black, white, 
blue, gray, brown, with an infinite number of intermediate shades. 

The returning path leads through the Bridal Chamber, where at 
least one couple sought their introduction into the mysteries of wedded 
love. Near at hand is the hollow column, a cylinder of great size, which 
rises from the floor and disappears through the ceiling as a stove-pipe. 
The column is hollow, as its name implies, a stream of water having 
worn away the center, through which, by means of a rope, an ascent can 
be made to a chamber nearly 60 feet above. 



10 



LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 



Passing onward the visitor stops for a few moments to admire what 
seems to be the retreating form ^f a lady in full party toilet. Her head 
is just hid by the jamb of the distant doorway; but rounded shoulders, 
delicate arms, shapely waist, and long, flowing skirt and train, profusely 
ornamented, all are there. The proprietors have named this the Ladies' 
Toilet, but some of the Smithsonian party suggested the (itle " Cinderella 
leaving the Ball." The iiath leads hence across Pluto's Chasm, by the 
Bridge of Sighs, to a rift bearing the grim title of Skeleton Gulch. 




The Grand Giilcli and Geyser. 

Here, 110 feet below the mouth of the Chasm, in the bottom of a narrow 
trench, are the bones of what apjiears to have been a human being. The 
vandalism of former visitors made the proprietor rather shy of the ex- 
ploring party; but as far as could be made out a man or woman lost in 
the cave had wandered to the edge of Pluto's Chasm, and, falling over, 
had here become entombed. Most of the bones are concealed by the 
tufaceous floor which has formed over them, but protruding through 
and above this are to be seen the head of a femur with an inch or two 
of the vertebral column, two or three small pointed projections resem- 
bling teeth, and a portion of a third bone undetermined. It was abso- 
lutely impossible to gain any information concerning these bones which 
would be of scientific value. 

The ground passed over is only one-fourth of the cave accessible, with 
but little trouble, to visitors ; and yet the fleeting hours invite return and 
compel a speedy retreat. 



LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 11 

It is a matter of profound regret that the peculiar combination of un- 
toward circumstances precluded a more scientific examination of the 
Luray Cavern. It is quite certain that the work could be thoroughly 
done with little cost if the same party could have proper facilities an- 
other season. The daze of first impressions being oft', there would be 
no hindrance to genuine work. An electric ligbt should be used in 
place of the magnesium wire,* and bearings, distances, and elevation 
carefully noted. 

Comparing this great natural curiosity with others of the same class, 
it is safe to say that there is probably no other cave in the world more 
comi>letely and profuselj' decorated with stalactitic and stalagmitic 
ornamentation than that at Luray. So abundant is this decoration that 
in only a small portion of the whole interior is unadorned rock visible. 
Here in this dark studio of nature are reproductions of all those 
objects which are wont to fill the mind with pleasure, wonder, or alarm — 
crystal fountains, spouting geysers, cascades, tlower gardens, gems 
which are the crown jewels of nature set oft' against a background of 
velvet darkness, cathedrals gorgeously sculptured and frescoed, chimes 
and deep-toned organs, thrones, spectral beings, terrestrial, celestial, 
and infernal — objects whose multiplicity variety and splendor would ex- 
haust the whole literature of mythic and fairy lore, in providing names 
for their infinite diversity of beauty. The indications are that the work 
was done with comparative rapidity, and the present dryness is sufti- 
cient evidence that the process has nearly ceased. Indeed, with the ex- 
ception of a few spots where there is a slight percolation of water from 
above, and a few where the gathering into pools allows the crystalliza- 
tion of the salts of lime, the atmosphere is all too dry for the deposition 
of lime carbonate. The cessation of the production of stalactites after 
the chambers had received their finishing touches was doubtless due to 
a change of condition of the land in the neighborhood, causing the drain- 
ing away into deeper channels of the surface water. This change prob- 
ably resulted from the further deepening of the bed of the neighboring 
stream, after the greater part of the ornamentation had been completed. 
These circumstances indicate some degree of geological antiquity for the 
Luray Cavern. Hence a date as early as the Tertiary period has been 
suggested, but there is no apparent reason why it may not be supposed 
to have originated in" one of the Mesozoic periods. In any case we may 
safely assume that the Luray Cavern long antedates the pristine man, 
although one of his descendants paid a fiital visit here long before Mr. 
Stebbins. 

The obscurity of the aperture through which it was discovered by its 
present proprietors (1878) would naturally suggest that its existence 
could not have been pre\iously known. The discovery of parts of a 
skeleton of man or of some large vertebrate, mostly embedded in 
tutaceous carbonate of lime, at the bottom of a chasm, shows that it was 
at one time of easier access ; indeed, it is aftirmed that former owners 



12 LURAY CAVERN, PAGE COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 

of the land had dumped loose rocks into the aperture to prevent young 
stock from wandering in and getting lost. The bones discovered are 
doubtless of considerable human antiquity; but, as they are found upon 
one of the few spots in the cave where the tufaceous material is still 
forming, it would aj^ijear probable that their age may not exceed two 
hundred or three hundred years. 

A few insects have been found in Luray Cave, but a thorough exami- 
nation with a view to collecting its fauna could not be made in the short 
stay allowed the Smithsonian party. No streams or pools of water have 
as yet been found in which an aqueous fauna might exist, and from pres- 
ent indications it is likely that the variety of animal life will prove to be 
very limited. At present a few spiders, flies, and one myriapod are 
known. An account of the former will appear in the American Natur- 
alist^ from the pen of the editor. Dr. A. S. Packard, jr. The myriapod 
has been described in volume iii, p. 524, of the Proceedings of the Na- 
tional Museum by Mr. J. A. Ryder and named zygonopus icMtei in honor 
of Dr. C. A. White. 

The vegetable growth is far more limited in extent. The jjroprietors 
have been compelled to form the walks and balustrades, through the 
cave, of green planks. In several places the white mold hangs from the 
under side of these planks iu long graceful festoons, not unlike the moss 
upon the cypress trees of the South. 

The party were greatly pleased with the courtesies received at the 
hands of the proprietors of the caverns, the citizen of Luray, and the 
Baltimore and Ohio Kailroad Company, and only i egret that their limited 
time and opportunities prevented their making a thorough scientific ex- 
ploration. 

The Institution is indebted to Mr. McDowell, treasurer of the Shenan- 
doah Valley Railroad, for the use of the illustrations in this article. 



N 



